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The religious architecture of Ladakh, India, reflects a rich multicultural history defined by bodily practices of remembrance performed on an individual and collective basis. The focus of my research is to understand how the religious community of Ladakh enshrines memories and traditions within their mosques and temples. In particular, I examine how literally constructed spaces can act as a superstructure to which memories can attach. Using as a point of reference Paul Connerton’s work on... Show moreThe religious architecture of Ladakh, India, reflects a rich multicultural history defined by bodily practices of remembrance performed on an individual and collective basis. The focus of my research is to understand how the religious community of Ladakh enshrines memories and traditions within their mosques and temples. In particular, I examine how literally constructed spaces can act as a superstructure to which memories can attach. Using as a point of reference Paul Connerton’s work on social bodily practices in How Societies Remember (1989), I conducted interviews with members of the Ladakhi community to explore the idea of architecture as a focal point of remembrance. By examining the entwined processes of layering memories and constructing traditions, I hope to better understand how experiential and collective memories contribute to the construction of these Ladakhi spaces as sacred. Show less

The history and problematic Orientalist contexts of belly dance within the United States has been discussed previously in academia; my project is a more ethnographic approach than many of these previous works. This particular study focuses on belly dance communities in South Florida to understand how the dancers, students, and instructors appropriate and re-appropriate the praxis of belly dance to fit within their own personal contexts. Through this work we see how contemporary belly dancing... Show moreThe history and problematic Orientalist contexts of belly dance within the United States has been discussed previously in academia; my project is a more ethnographic approach than many of these previous works. This particular study focuses on belly dance communities in South Florida to understand how the dancers, students, and instructors appropriate and re-appropriate the praxis of belly dance to fit within their own personal contexts. Through this work we see how contemporary belly dancing both challenges and reinforces Orientalist perspectives. I used Edward Said‟s notions of Orientalism as an analytical framework to interpret information gathered from participant-observation sessions, interviews with informants, and text analysis. I found that Orientalism influenced the history of contemporary American belly dance and that current practices reflect this history and its Orientalist origins. Show less

Post World War II the idea of the "neighborhood" has been rapidly reinvented by a variety of influential factors such as mass suburbanization, urban development, and economic expansion. This thesis explores the ways in which neighborhood space has transformed from the public to private sphere through the creation of gated communities. Anthropological methods such as interviews, questionnaires, text analysis, and participant observation were utilized to determine individual's motivation and... Show morePost World War II the idea of the "neighborhood" has been rapidly reinvented by a variety of influential factors such as mass suburbanization, urban development, and economic expansion. This thesis explores the ways in which neighborhood space has transformed from the public to private sphere through the creation of gated communities. Anthropological methods such as interviews, questionnaires, text analysis, and participant observation were utilized to determine individual's motivation and desire to create and reside within gated communities. Show less

In this study I aim to examine the uses of kinship, language and naming practices, and gender performativity within and beyond the drag community of the United States and how each of these elements plays a role in national transgender progression. My data was collected through surveys, interviews, and a textual analysis of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Based on my findings, I argue that drag community and its media presence over the last two decades has led to a national transgender progression within... Show moreIn this study I aim to examine the uses of kinship, language and naming practices, and gender performativity within and beyond the drag community of the United States and how each of these elements plays a role in national transgender progression. My data was collected through surveys, interviews, and a textual analysis of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Based on my findings, I argue that drag community and its media presence over the last two decades has led to a national transgender progression within the United States. Show less

In this study, I aim to explain the status of airline flag carriers as national and cultural symbols of their respected countries. With national interests and identity as part of their development, flag-carriers serve as “aerial ambassadors” representing their home nations. Through the media of design, uniforms, crew service, and advertising techniques, flag-carriers create a sense of place of their unique nations for both local and international passengers—promoting the “imagined communities... Show moreIn this study, I aim to explain the status of airline flag carriers as national and cultural symbols of their respected countries. With national interests and identity as part of their development, flag-carriers serve as “aerial ambassadors” representing their home nations. Through the media of design, uniforms, crew service, and advertising techniques, flag-carriers create a sense of place of their unique nations for both local and international passengers—promoting the “imagined communities” as coined by Benedict Anderson. Behind these flag-carriers are instances of public support and pride. The role of being an aerial ambassador emerges as the airline and nation become one entity, an association that could be either positive or negative. With examinations of airline websites, aviation marketing literature, and visual analyses, my research will show how flag-carriers express national identity across borders through their projected physical and cultural identities. Show less

In this study I provide an examination of the varying effects of globalization that have impacted early childhood education programs, teaching methods, and other aspects of the pre-primary learning system in regions dominated by two of China’s ethnic minorities: Uyghur and Tibetan, compared to the impacts on Han area preschools. I look at non-Chinese early childhood education methods such as Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP), Montessori teaching, and bilingualism, and evaluate their... Show moreIn this study I provide an examination of the varying effects of globalization that have impacted early childhood education programs, teaching methods, and other aspects of the pre-primary learning system in regions dominated by two of China’s ethnic minorities: Uyghur and Tibetan, compared to the impacts on Han area preschools. I look at non-Chinese early childhood education methods such as Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP), Montessori teaching, and bilingualism, and evaluate their prevalence in the different regions. To investigate this topic I use both historical sources and online data from preschools in China. Show less